


My Life Starts With You

by inkahgase



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Best Friends, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Secretaries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-08 05:16:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21230420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkahgase/pseuds/inkahgase
Summary: From the day you were born, your life had already been mapped out for you. The path only lead to one destination. At least until that one fateful day, when you met someone that would change the course of your life forever.His name was Im Jaebeom.





	1. The Past

_Ten years old_

You weren’t like most girls your age, your father would always tell you. You were _special_ and you would grow up to rule the world. So whilst other little girls got to attend school and go to the playground, you were stuck at home and alone as they groomed you to be the best version of yourself that you could be.

The day started like most of your days did, etiquette lessons in the morning followed by business lessons after lunch. Staring out of the window of the library as your teacher droned on, you started to think about what life would be like, if you were somebody else. You started to think about all the things that you could have been doing and all the people you could have been meeting.

Frustrated, you huffed as you thought about what it would be like if you were just a regular girl. That was when you came up with this plan — to run away. You were smart so you studied your teacher’s movements and before long, you had memorised them. So as soon as she turned and was on the other side of the room, you darted out the window.

The teacher didn’t notice anything until you were already halfway across your yard. You might have been little but you were fast, so you ran as quick as your little legs would let you. Hearing your guards calling out for your name, you didn’t stop. You never stopped.

You didn’t know where you were going but you kept on running, until you reached a crossroads. Looking to your left, you saw the playground whilst the way to the stream was on your right. Realising that the guards would opt for the playground considering the amount of times you whined about it, you chose the opposite. You ran towards the stream.

Through the large trees, you kept on running until you heard the sound of the water. You followed the sound, getting louder the deeper you got into the woods and it wasn’t long before you could see it in front of you. Freedom was almost within your reach, your strained and tired legs taking you there. But you were so engrossed in your goal that you didn’t notice your surroundings and fell over after you bumped into _a little boy_.

“What the hell?” the boy asked unhurt and unamused. “Why don’t you watch where you’re going? Don’t you know that there are other people around you?”

The boy continued to berate you and you couldn’t say a word back to him. Your father always taught you to be tough but you were tired. Tired from running and tired of the way that you were supposed to be behaving. Tired of everyone telling you what to do, including this little boy who had no clue of what you had been going through.

So for once, you gave up. You showed your weakness —turning away from him, not wanting him to see the tears that streamed down your face. But once the first tear escaped, there was no going back as the dam broke. Loudly and violently you sobbed, unable to control your feelings like you had been taught to do.

The little boy stared at you in shock and started to feel bad. He didn’t meant to go off at you, he was just having a bad day and the fact that you bumped into him in his secret hideout made him lose it. The grass was damp as he knelt on the ground and tried to place his hands on your shoulders to calm you down, but you slapped his hands away and scooted as far away from him as you could.

“I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I didn’t mean to have a go at you. Please, stop crying. I just want to help.”

He tried to approach you again but you just shook your head before scooting away again. He let out another sigh before smiling, a new solution appearing in his thoughts. “My name is Jaebeom and I’m ten years old,” he informed you. “Do you want to come and get ice cream with me? It’ll help cheer the both of us up. Ice cream is always the answer!”

You sat there and stared at the smiling boy in front of you who was holding out his hand to help you up. His smile looked genuine enough but your father always reminded you about strangers and how they wanted to hurt you. Staring back, you didn’t see that in this boy and you did want to act like a normal girl would, so you ignored your lessons and let him help you up.

Jaebeom didn’t let go of your hand as he led you out of the woods and back into civilisation. He had never seen you before so he didn’t think you knew your way around. Not wanting you to get lost and feel bad again, he grasped your hand tighter through the last set of trees before you reached the pavement. He almost stumbled back however, when you hesitated to step out from behind the trees.

Curiously, he observed the way your eyes darted back and forth, to and fro, before you breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out into the light with him. “Is everything okay?” Jaebeom asked intrigued.

Somehow you found yourself telling the boy the truth, “I ran away from home.”

Jaebeom hummed before leading you to the direction of his favourite ice cream shop. The one where his dad used to take him before everything in his life was turned upside down. Whilst it did contain sad memories, it also didn’t fail in cheering him up so he figured it would cheer you up too.

He sat you down in one of the booths, well into the shop and far from the doors and windows. He was seasoned when it came to running away, so he knew how to hide himself and be discreet. You watched Jaebeom go up to the counter and the lady smiled at him like she’d known him his whole life, before he came back to you clutching a cone in one hand and offering you the other.

“You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong,” Jaebeom said after you’ve both finished your ice creams. “But my mom, who’s a grown up, says it helps sometimes.”

“Do you always do what you’re told?” you asked curiously.

“I guess so, especially when it comes from my mom. I mean, she’s my mom and she would know what’s best for me.”

“I used to think that about my dad,” you told him sadly. “I’m sure he loves me, and yet he doesn’t let me leave the house and make any friends.”

“You don’t go to school?” Jaebeom queried and you shook your head.

That was when you decided to tell him about yourself. You told him about your life, your lessons and most importantly, _your name_. Your father always told you about the importance of your name and how everyone would come to know who you were, but Jaebeom had never heard of you. It made you smile.

Jaebeom smiled back, “I have a great idea! I can be your friend!”

You gaped at him, “I just told you who I am and you want to be my friend?”

“Why wouldn’t I? You don’t have any friends and to be honest, I don’t really have any either. That’s why I always go to the stream by myself.”

“I don’t know how to be your friend, Jaebeom. I don’t think I would be allowed out again after this.”

Jaebeom sat there quietly as you watched, trying to come up with a plan for you to get out of your predicament. A light bulb moment occurred and he shared his idea with you, “go home,” he said. “Your dad will ask why you ran away and you can tell him the truth. Tell him that you’ll still do your lessons but he should let you have your fun once in awhile.”

“Do you really think it would work?” you asked, doubt clouding your mind.

“It doesn’t hurt to try,” Jaebeom shrugged. “Meet me at the stream if he gives you permission.”

“It could take months. How will I tell you when I’m finally allowed?”

“I’ll go there everyday and wait for you, of course.”

You sat there in awe at the boy across from you, who was a complete stranger and yet wanted to do everything he could to help you out. You didn’t know much about people yet, but somehow you realised that he was someone that you would want to be beside you all the time.

“You would do that? For me?”

“Well, I did say I would be your friend, didn’t I?”

“Thank you,” you said sincerely. “I will never forget this.”

Jaebeom smiled again before grabbing your hand and leading you out of the shop. You both walked back to the stream, hand in hand, before stopping at a particular spot.

“This is where I found you,” Jaebeom explained. “This is where I’ll wait for you, okay? Don’t forget.”

You promised that you wouldn’t and he finally let you go so that you could make your way back home. Once you were out of sight, Jaebeom sat by the stream smiling to himself at the thought of finally making a friend.

* * *

Two months later and Jaebeom was close to giving up. He came to the spot everyday and waited until it was almost dark for you to arrive, but you never did. Today, he was hoping things would be different. Today was a special day to him and he was really wanting to share it with you. So, just like every other day, he sat by the stream and made a wish.

With his eyes closed, he saw you just like he always did in his dreams. The two of you met each other in a field of flowers — with you in a white dress and he in khakis and a white shirt. You walked towards each other until he was so close to you that he could feel your breath fan his face and you grasped his hand in yours as you smiled before running and pulling him with you.

“Jaebeom.”

_That’s weird_, he thought. In his dreams, none of you spoke. You just ran around the field in a fit of laughter.

“Jaebeom.”

_There it was, again_. He tried to concentrate on his dream to see if anything had changed for this to be happening.

“Jaebeom, what are you doing?” he heard you ask.

“I’m dreaming.”

“Dreaming of what?”

His eyes snapped open at your question, your voice sounding so real and that was when he turned to his side, seeing you sit next to him in all your glory. You smiled at him as the wind blew by, your hair lifting with it. The sun was setting behind you, surrounding you in its glowing light and he thought you were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

“Am I still dreaming?”

You laughed and it was his favourite sound. “What are you talking about, Jaebeom?” you asked smiling. “I know that I’m two months late, but I think all this waiting has turned you silly!”

“It’s your fault,” he scoffed. “You took too long to get here! I almost gave up. What took you so long?”

Gifting him another smile, you told him about what had transpired the past two months. How scared you were of asking your father something of this magnitude. You had to prove to him that this was something you could have on top of your lessons and luckily your teacher had agreed. She reasoned that you also needed a social aspect as part of your grooming.

“Awesome!” Jaebeom celebrated. “So do we get to play everyday?”

You shook your head and his smile faltered. “I get one afternoon off every week, starting today.”

“That’s better than nothing,” he concluded. “We’ll just have to make the most of it.”

Just like two months ago, you found yourself staring at him in awe. It was amazing to you how a simple boy like him, who suffered with loneliness just like you did, could still be as optimistic as he was. Jaebeom was teaching you more about this world than anything that had come out of your teacher’s books.

“Actually, you chose the perfect day to come and play.”

“I did?” you asked curiously and he nodded. He reached into his backpack and produced a plastic container holding a single red velvet cupcake inside.

“The lady at the ice cream shop gave it to me,” Jaebeom explained excitedly. “She gives me one every year on my birthday, which is today. I normally eat it all up in one go but thought I’d save it today to share with you in case you showed up.”

“Happy birthday,” you greeted him warmly as he handed over the other half of the cupcake. The two of you sat there in silence, watching the stream flow by as you devoured the cupcakes. Once you’ve finished, you suddenly felt the need to ask the question you had been dying to have answered. “Jaebeom, why are you trying to be my friend?”

“Because you need one,” he answered simply. “After that first day we met, I asked my mom about your family. Since then, I knew that you really needed a friend.”

“Even though you found out who I really was?” you asked sceptically and he nodded.

“You’re still just a girl,” Jaebeom pointed out. “Just a person. Someone that doesn’t want to be lonely. That’s all that matters to— _why are you crying?_”

You sat there, crying just like you did the first time Jaebeom met you. _Why were you always crying every time you saw him?_ Jaebeom thought hard of ways to try and cheer you up, considering he couldn’t take you to the ice cream shop today because he was out of lunch money. The only thing that came to mind was how his mom cheered him up when he was sad, so he went for it. He gave you a hug.

“It’s my birthday and you haven’t given me a present yet,” Jaebeom said to try and distract you.

“My dad has all the money in the world,” you said sadly. “I’ll give you anything. Tell me what you want.”

“I want my friend to stop crying,” Jaebeom requested of you. “Every time I see you, I end up making you cry even though I’m just trying to help. Stop making me feel bad.”

You laughed this time, “Okay, I’ll stop. I have to go anyway. It’s getting dark.”

“Same time, next week?” Jaebeom asked hopeful.

You nodded before bidding him farewell, “Happy Birthday, Jaebeom.”

* * *

_High School_

You couldn’t believe that it was here; the last day of the last year of high school. As you entered the prom after party at Jackson Wang’s house, you were relieved for it to be over. Years of having to pretend to be a person you weren’t was taking its toll on you. Mark, your prom date, handed you a drink he concocted himself. He knew you wanted to let loose tonight, but he still wanted you to be safe. No harm was going to come for you tonight, not on his watch.

Mark led you to the back where it was less populated. You sat there, watching the ripples on the pool water caused by the wind and sipped your drink.

“He’ll come, don’t worry,” Mark assured you with a squeeze on your shoulder. “He told me he would.”

You smiled, knowing he was right. As you waited, you looked back at the water to reminisce about the last four years.

* * *

You didn’t dare to dream of being able to attend high school especially after being home schooled from the beginning, but your father deemed it necessary. He wanted you to further your skill and knowledge through your academics and wanted you to gain some contacts through making friends.

It took almost no convincing from your end, until it came to choosing the right school for you. Applications from prestigious high schools were pouring in left and right, and yet you chose a school that was at the bottom of that list. Your father knew the exact reason why and he didn’t hesitate to call you out on it, even though he had grown fond of Jaebeom.

In the end, he didn’t mind you attending the school, considering that there were still a handful of elite students attending there that you could make friends with, but he did set some rules. _Non-negotiables_ he called them, that were there to protect you whether you liked it or not and boy, did you not like them.

The first condition was that your association with Jaebeom had to be at the absolute minimum during school hours. Your father accepted him as your friend but did not want you to be hindered by anything when it came to achieving your goals at the school. You remembered crying to Jaebeom about it but like the amazing person that he was, he assured you that it didn’t matter to him and that nothing would change. You had accepted the first condition.

_“Will you ever stop crying?” He joked to try and lighten your mood. “At least we go from seeing each other once a week to almost everyday! It’s a massive improvement!”_

_“I don’t want you to think that it’s because I’m ashamed of you,” you whined at him._

_“Who’s the silly one now? Your dad is just trying to protect you. I care about you so I want that, too. We’re best friends. That won’t change even if we don’t talk at school.”_

_“Promise?”_

_“Promise.”_

The second condition was that you had to have a bodyguard with you for protection at all times. You balked at the idea but there was no convincing your father to change his mind. The only allowance he gave to appease you was the choice of who would be protecting you.

You were thankful for it, not wanting to be assigned a middle aged man that would follow you around emotionless. You didn’t know much about making friends back then but you definitely knew that no one would want to approach you and introduce themselves with such an intimidating presence by your side.

So, you chose _Mark Tuan_, someone who was the same age as you. Just like the rest of the male members of the Tuan line, he was born and raised in the business — his father being the head of your father’s security detail. You’d spoken to him a couple of times and you knew he craved social interaction just like you once did, so he didn’t hesitate to say yes.

You had introduced him to Jaebeom straight after, so that Mark would trust him like you did. The two boys ended up getting along easier than you had imagined. Soon enough, they became really good friends at school, which was to your advantage because he became the messenger for you and Jaebeom. Mark would discreetly pass messages on for the both of you and made the fact that you had to hide your friendship with Jaebeom, a little bit bareable.

Through the years, you also got to meet Jaebeom’s other friends. He asked if you had wanted to one day, even though you had met a couple of them at school already, but not in the intimate setting of your secret spot by the stream. You didn’t mind though, you got to know them and cherished their friendship just like Jaebeom’s and Mark’s.

From Jinyoung, who was one of the smartest guys in the year — you knew this because he was your direct competition — to Jackson who was the Captain of the football team. Jackson was very familiar to you, having seen him attend galas a few times with his father, who was a business partner of your father. Youngjae, BamBam and Yugyeom rounded up the group, filling it with joy and laughter.

You were thankful for their friendship with Jaebeom, especially since you knew that he was exactly like you. The only friends you had were each other and that was why you had initially wanted to repay the favour by joining him in the same school. With your father’s condition, you hadn’t been able to do it, but you promised yourself to do so in the future.

Even though you hated it for the most part, you were also appreciative of your high school years because of everything that you and Jaebeom had gone through. You got to know each other a lot better, maturing as the years went by, along with your friendship. But, in just one day, things had begin to shift.

* * *

Jaebeom woke up with a big smile on his face and a giddy feeling in his belly, thoughts of you immediate in his mind. He read a great book last night and he couldn’t wait to talk to you about it. Very thankful to have a friend who was a bookworm just like him, the two of you made it a thing to read a book every night and tell each other about it the next day.

He got ready for school, already looking forward to the end of it where you would meet him at your spot. He knew it was going to be a good day. Well, so he thought. Once he arrived at school, he caught his group of friends in a discussion that he didn’t think he would ever overhear.

“Do you think we should tell him?” BamBam asked the group.

“Do you mean Mark or Jaebeom?” Youngjae questioned.

“Of course, he means Jaebeom,” Jackson scoffed. “Why would he mean Mark? I mean surely Mark would have already heard of this rumour.”

Yugyeom then decided to pipe up, “What if it isn’t a rumour? Don’t you think Jaebeom deserves to know?”

It was Jinyoung who scoffed this time, “Jaebeom doesn’t need to know anything. Do you think Mark would do this?”

Jaebeom couldn’t hold it any longer so he made his presence known, “Okay, what the hell is going on?”

The group fidgeted around nervously before Jinyoung rolled his eyes and stepped up to the task. He explained, “There’s a rumour going around about her and Mark. Apparently, they’re a couple.”

Jaebeom laughed this time, “That can’t be true. She would’ve told me already.”

“Maybe she didn’t want to tell you,” BamBam shrugged and Jaebeom looked at him with eyes that threw daggers at him.

Jinyoung decided to diffuse the situation, “Anyway, it’s time to go to class. Jaebeom, let’s go.” Once everyone else had left, Jinyoung turned to Jaebeom to check if he was okay. “Are you alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I’m not blind, Jaebeom. I can see how you feel about her.”

“I don’t feel that way about her,” Jaebeom denied but his blushed cheeks gave him away. “Even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. We live in two different worlds. She’d probably be better off with Mark.”

Jinyoung shook his head, “You’re a bigger idiot than I thought.”

“I dare you to say that again.”

“First of all, Mark is just her bodyguard,” Jinyoung started to explain. “If you want to talk ‘worlds’, he is classed the same as us. He isn’t in her league. Not that she ever cared about that bullshit. I thought you knew her better than that. She’s just putting up a facade to please everyone around her until she’s strong enough to take everyone on.”

“What’s the second thing?”

Jinyoung rolled his eyes, “She likes you, too. You big dork.”

Jaebeom stood there stunned at the information Jinyoung had given him. Before he could utter a retort, Jinyoung had already walked off and headed to class. He’d have to ask him about that later on today.

As much as Jaebeom tried to focus in his class, he found it impossible. Not because of what Jinyoung had told him, but because of the rumours about you and Mark. He didn’t understand why it was happening now considering that you and Mark had been inseparable since the beginning of high school. What happened that caused this drastic reaction?

He saw a bunch of girls talking in a huddle in class, so he leaned towards them and eavesdropped on their conversation.

_“Did you hear about her and Mark? Apparently they were caught on a date last night.”_

_“I heard that he took her to the most expensive restaurant.”_

_“Well, I heard that they went for a walk and looked very cosy.”_

_“They were definitely very touchy feely.”_

_“They definitely kissed.”_

_“Well, that means they definitely fuck—”_

Jaebeom settled back in his seat and bristled at what he had heard. Turning to Jinyoung who had an amused smirk on his face, he wanted to ask him what he knew. Jinyoung just shook his head and whispered a warning to his friend, “Don’t be an idiot.”

_Don’t be an idiot? We’ll see who’s the idiot._

Jaebeom spotted you and Mark by your locker after class, talking and laughing with each other. He tried to reason that this was always how the two of you acted at school since you were good friends despite Mark’s position but the green monster had won. Jaebeom decided that he needed to know what the hell was going on so that he could put his mind at ease. He approached the two of you, on the guise that he was speaking with Mark. It’s something that you have both done before as a way of talking to each other.

“Listen, do you think it can just be us two at the spot later?” Jaebeom asked when he reached you both. You were facing towards your locker, not sparing a glance so no one would catch your interaction. “I need to discuss something privately.”

You looked at Mark for permission — like you normally did — but this time it irked Jaebeom and he had to grit his teeth to hold himself together. Mark winked, to signal that he had granted your permission and you winked back to tell him that you would go.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Mark answered for you before Jaebeom stalked off and told the others not to go there today.

When you reached the spot after school, you spotted Jaebeom sitting down and staring at the stream with a hard look on his face. You approached and sat down on his left, facing him.

“What’s going on?” you asked worriedly.

“What’s the deal with you and Mark?”

“Wha—”

“Don’t play dumb with me,” Jaebeom snarled. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“There’s nothing between me and Mark,” you said calmly. “You already know that. I would have told you otherwise.”

“Then why does the whole school think that you were out on a date last night?”

“Because he accompanied me to a gala _as my bodyguard_. He was working and was three feet behind me the whole time. Why do you suddenly care about what the whole school thinks?”

“Shouldn’t _you_ care what they are saying about you?”

“Why would I care about that?”

Jaebeom knew he should stop before he would say something that he would live to regret. Unfortunately, he was too fired up and couldn’t control his emotions. “If you don’t care about what anyone thinks, then why do we have to keep our friendship hidden? Are you ashamed of me?”

“Don’t you dare,” you warned him. “That is not fair. You know how I feel about our whole situation. You know how much I care about you and this friendship.”

“I used to know,” Jaebeom muttered before he got up. “Now, I don’t know anymore.”

He turned to walk away but you grabbed his arm to hold him back, “Don’t leave. Talk to me. This isn’t like you.”

“I guess we don’t know each other as well as we thought we did,” he replied before walking off and leaving you there by yourself.

* * *

Jaebeom was in bed reading a book when Jinyoung barged in and threw him an accusatory glare.

“I thought I told you not to be an idiot?” Jinyoung asked.

“I wasn’t,” Jaebeom lied through his teeth.

“Then why is Mark in our dorm looking like he wants to beat the shit out of you?”

“Shit.”

“Yeah. Shit. Deal with it.”

Jinyoung walked out of his room and was replaced by none other than Mark himself. Mark stood there and glared at Jaebeom who returned his glare. The intense standoff lasted for a few more minutes before Mark rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall.

“You like her,” he stated. It wasn’t a question.

“I do,” Jaebeom answered truthfully since there was no use of hiding it from someone like Mark who could tell the difference between a truth and a lie with his eyes closed. “You like her, too.”

“Not in the way that you do,” Mark replied coolly. “So you don’t have to worry about the shit that goes on at school. What you have to worry about is me thumping you for making her cry.”

“_Again?_” Jaebeom whined.

“Again,” Mark confirmed before pushing himself off the wall. “Fix this shit or you would lose her for good.”

After Mark had left, Jaebeom thought long and hard about what he needed to do to make it up to you. He was a real jerk so he knew that it would take some grand gesture and more than just an apology. Sifting through his memories of your friendship, he finally got an idea of what to do before he fell asleep.

* * *

The next day, he bee lined straight to your locker as soon as he arrived at school. Mark was there as he always was and Jaebeom nodded in his direction as a way of informing him that he was ready to make it right.

“Listen, it’s me again,” Jaebeom stated and you stiffened. “I was wondering if it could please just be us two again at the spot today?”

Mark offered his usual wink but you shook your head. Mark cleared his throat wanting you to look at him so that he could try and convince you to meet Jaebeom but your stubbornness had won out and you refused to look at him. He rolled his eyes and took matters into his own hands.

“Yes, I’ll be there,” Mark answered for you as per usual and this was when you looked at him with narrowed eyes. “Even if I have to drag her there myself.”

“See you then,” Jaebeom whispered only for you and Mark to hear before he headed off to class.

Once Jaebeom was out of earshot, you turned to Mark and punched him in the arm. “Ow! What was that for?”

“You know exactly what it’s for,” you glared at him. “You know that I don’t want to talk to him. Why would you do such a thing?”

Mark laughed, “Last night, you told me that you wanted to talk to him.”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“Well, I ain’t calling you a truther,” Mark countered. “Meet him. I wasn’t joking when I said I would drag you there myself if you didn’t.”

That afternoon, he literally dragged you to the spot just like he promised after you tried to run away. You didn’t even know why you bothered, knowing that there was no way you could get passed Mark even with his hands tied behind his back.

You sat there waiting for Jaebeom, seeing that he wasn’t there yet when you arrived. “I’m only waiting for one more minute!” you yelled out, since you knew that your guard was lurking in the woods somewhere to make sure that you weren’t going to run away again.

“You’re waiting 15 minutes!” the voice yelled back and you groaned. You would have words with him later on. Just when you were about to utter a retort, you saw Jaebeom come out from the bushes with a small smile on his face as he approached to sit next to you. You turned back to the stream.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Jaebeom voiced and you hummed, not wanting to give in too easily. “I had to stop by elsewhere on the way here.”

“Hmm.”

“Listen, I want to apologise,” Jaebeom continued. “For all the things that I said to you yesterday. You were right, I wasn’t being fair. I was angry and jealous and I took it out on you. So, I’m sorry.”

This revelation caught your attention, “Why would you be angry and jealous?”

Jaebeom sighed before he turned to look at you, “I was— am jealous because of your friendship with Mark. I know the circumstances as to why it’s different, I just got a little bit insecure yesterday because I was already angry. I thought that something like you and Mark dating would be something I would’ve heard from you and not the whole school.”

“Well, you would’ve heard it from me if it were true,” you reminded him.

“That may be true, but it wouldn’t have been until the afternoon after I spent the whole day stewing.”

You contemplated what Jaebeom said and he was right. This was one of the downfalls of your friendship with him that you both would have to keep trying to improve. You looked at him and offered a small smile then you nudged him as a sign of forgiveness.

“Thank you,” Jaebeom smiled before he fished something out of his bag - a red velvet cupcake. “This is why I’m late. I wanted to make it up to you so I asked the lady to bake them this morning and I had to stop by and pick it up on the way here.”

You took the item from him and engulfed him in a hug, with your face buried in his neck. “Thank you, Jaebeom. I’m glad I didn’t lose you.”

“It would take a lot more than that to get rid of me.”

You laughed as you pulled away before you decided to continue the tradition. You broke the cupcake in half and offered it to him, watching as Mr. One Bite shoved the whole thing in his mouth. Jaebeom offered you a toothy smile, bits of chocolate and cupcake stuck to his teeth as he tried to get you to laugh. He was successful and you spent the rest of the day with him as you talked about the great book he had read the other night.

Before you knew it, dusk arrived and it was time for you to go. You both stood up and you decided to ask him one final question before he went on his way. “Just out of curiosity, how would you feel if Mark and I _were_ dating?”

Jaebeom wasn’t at all shocked by your question. In fact, he had anticipated it. He knew you were meticulous and wouldn’t let something like this go. Truth be told, he was glad you asked because he almost chickened out of telling you himself. “I’d be upset,” he answered you nonchalant. “For reasons that I’m sure you’re already aware of.”

“Hmm,” you replied back as you tried to keep your feelings in check. Unfortunately, Jaebeom decided that you weren’t getting out unscathed.

“If the roles were reversed and you found out that I was dating someone else, how would you feel?”

You smiled at him, “I’d be upset, too. For reasons that I’m sure you’re already aware of.”

You stood there and stared at each other until you broke the trance when you bid him farewell.

“I don’t like to be kept waiting, Im Jaebeom,” you said over your shoulder as you walked towards the direction of where Mark was waiting.

“I had to wait two months for you!” he countered and you looked back at him, only to shrug before you were out of his sight.

* * *

“A penny for your thoughts?”Jaebeom asked, pulling you back from your memories. You looked to your left and Mark was nowhere to be seen, probably leaving as soon as Jaebeom appeared.

You scooted over before patting the spot where you were sitting and offering it to him. “I was just remembering that one fight we had—”

“Oh my God,” Jaebeom shook his head. “The one about Mark? Yeah, let’s not remind me of my worst moment as your friend.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” you assured him by nudging your shoulder against his. “Though, you were super jealous of us.”

“I was not,” he scoffed.

You downed the rest of your drink, liquid courage running through your veins. You wanted to push him, tired of dancing around your feelings. You leaned in close, your face inches from his and his eyes widened, “You were, too.”

“Is that why you asked Mark to go with you to the prom?” Jaebeom instantly regretted voicing his concern out loud because he knew it was out of line. Mark was only your pretend date — because he was your bodyguard and he had to protect you — but it did bother Jaebeom a little bit.

The question caught you off guard and you looked away even though you kept your closeness to him, “You already know why I had to take him,” you whispered before changing tactic. “You’ve also made me wait. I told you I don’t like waiting.”

Jaebeom gulped nervously but didn’t back away, taking the strands of your hair that fell loose and tucking it behind your ear, “I don’t mean to make you wait but we’re from completely different worlds and I just want to be good enough—”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” you commanded before settling back in your seat. “You’re more of a man than all of the others that I have met and will meet in my lifetime.”

Turning to face him, you grabbed the rest of his drink and downed it, needing more courage for your next question, “Do you want to get out of here?”

“What?” Jaebeom asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, what?” Mark suddenly appeared back from the party and you rolled your eyes. “We just got here.”

“It would just be me and Jaebeom,” you told him, before looking back at Jaebeom. Jaebeom then looked back at Mark for permission.

“Fine,” Mark resigned before addressing Jaebeom. “But, I am holding you accountable. Do not take her too far and have her back by midnight. You will protect her with your life. I’m giving you this only chance, Im Jaebeom. Do you understand me?”

Jaebeom nodded before offering his arm for you to link yours with. Smiling, you winded yours around his and allowed him to lead the way. You didn’t get too far before Mark was clutching you back. “Keep your phone on you. I’ll keep an eye on the party and let you know when you need to head back.”

Luckily, Jackson’s mansion was only a ten minute drive from the lookout. Jaebeom hadn’t had anything to drink since you ended up drinking his beer, which meant that he had no issues taking you there.

“This is one of my favourite spots,” you explained to Jaebeom as you got out of the car and headed over to the railing. “It’s so beautiful and peaceful.”

Jaebeom agreed, though he wasn’t really looking at the view since he was too busy looking at you. “Care for a dance?”

You looked at him sceptically and he laughed before opening the boot of his car and reaching into a duffel bag for his Bluetooth speaker. Plugging his phone in, the melody of a slow love song filled the air before he turned to you, “May I?”

Reaching out for his outstretched hand, you allowed him to pull your body flush against his, the contact sending shivers down your spine. He placed his free hand on your exposed lower back courtesy of your dress, gently grazing his fingers against your skin.

Looking at where his arm met your back, you placed your hand on his forearm and ran it upwards, until it stopped and rested on his nape, your eyes following its movement. Taking a deep breath, you stared into Jaebeom’s eyes and you swore you could see galaxies behind them. His breath hitched and he pulled you even closer, before he led your bodies along with the music.

Unable to hold back, you gifted him a smile as you swayed with him. Your happiness was contagious and Jaebeom laughed before reluctantly relinquishing his close hold on you so that he could twirl you around. Once you were back in his arms, he held you tightly before dipping you. Faces inches from each other, your breathing was laboured as he slowly stood you back up.

“I didn’t know that you knew how to dance,” you breathed out, eyes darting from his own, to his lips.

“I didn’t,” Jaebeom replied, staring at your lips. “But, I learnt. I know that this is part of your world so I thought I would learn so that—”

“You’re blabbering,” you stated matter-of-factly. “And I’m flattered.”

You looked back into his eyes and found them boring into yours, the tension between you increasing by the second. Jaebeom wet his lips before staring at yours, moving his hands to cup your face. You closed your eyes as he leaned in, waiting for the feel of his lips, but it never came because the ringtone you had set for Mark chimed through the air.

Whining, you moved away from Jaebeom and towards your purse as he chuckled at your tantrum. Picking up the offending item, you huffed as your pressed the green answer button and put him on loudspeaker so Jaebeom could hear as well, “Speak,” you commanded Mark, and he knew from your tone that you were unhappy but he bared with it because he had more pressing things to worry about.

“You need to come back _now_,” Mark demanded and he knew you were about to protest so he told you what you needed to hear. “Jackson’s father is here and is looking for us. Jackson’s keeping him busy but it won’t be for much longer.”

“Meet you at the back in five minutes,” Jaebeom assured him, the both of you already in the car and speeding off as soon as the words ‘Jackson’s father’ came out of Mark’s lips.

“I’m sorry,” you told Jaebeom as soon as you hung up the phone.

“Don’t be. I made you wait. It’s only fair that I get to wait now.”

Jaebeom clutched your hand reassuringly as he handed you over to Mark. Giving you a kiss on your forehead, he smiled sadly before heading home. Mark smiled apologetically and you waved him off before steeling yourself and putting the memory of your almost kiss with Jaebeom in the back of your mind. At least for now.


	2. The Present

“Stop thinking about him,” Jinyoung sighed. “Start thinking about these business plans. Your homework isn’t going to do itself.”

You narrowed your eyes at him before slamming the folder in front of you shut, much to Jinyoung’s chagrin. “Is it so bad to wonder how he is?” you asked.

Jinyoung sighed again, rubbing his face in exasperation. “No,” he answered. “But you only just saw him last night and you literally just texted him. If you don’t approve these plans, you know that your father would be upset.”

“Then, I approve all of them.”

“You haven’t even read them!”

You groaned, before putting your head down on the desk. Chucking a tantrum like a five year old, you kicked your legs around under the desk while banging your fists on the table. “I hate these damn business plans! Why don’t you just do them?”

“I’m not the one who is being groomed to take over a company,” Jinyoung reminded you gently.

“You know I’m going to hire you anyway,” your muffled voice told him and he laughed.

“I know, but you can’t do that unless you become the CEO. You can’t do that until you approve these business plans and complete the other tasks your father still has for you. Besides, I’m happy with my job right now because I get to tell you what to do.”

Your father hired Jinyoung about six months ago to bring you up to speed on how to manage a company. The distance between you and Jaebeom hit you harder this year than it had the past few years and you didn’t know why. Slacking off on your studies, your concerned father sought for help. That was why Jinyoung was there.

You continued to whine as someone entered the room. Looking up excitedly, you saw that it was only Mark. Pouting, you placed your head back on the desk to whine some more. Mark rolled his eyes before dropping another five folders on your desk, grabbing your attention.

“Why is there more?” you narrowed your eyes at him.

“Your father’s orders,” Mark shrugged. “You’re taking too long with the others so he’s decided to punish you. Now, will you stop being a brat?”

“You and I used to understand each other,” you mumbled to yourself, but Mark’s skilful ears heard it.

“I still do,” Mark laughed. “That’s why your father asked me to come down here. He also said that if you stop being the brat that you are, then we can all go out this Friday night.”

Sighing, you looked out of the window and wondered if you even wanted to go out this Friday night. Apart from the galas you had to attend to make contacts, you had been staying home. You didn’t think there was a point in trying to have fun when Jaebeom wasn’t around and he hadn’t been around for four years.

“You need to go out,” Mark said gently. “He would want you to. He’ll be upset when he finds out what you’ve been doing to yourself. Plus, the others miss you.”

That’s right. _The others_. Apart from Jackson who was a regular at the galas you attended and the two sitting in front of you, you hadn’t seen Youngjae, Yugyeom and BamBam for a long time. It wasn’t fair that you stopped being their friend just because Jaebeom was halfway across the globe.

Mark was also right about another thing. Jaebeom wouldn’t be happy knowing that you’ve been living your life without him like this. You made a promise to him, one that you haven’t kept and you dreaded the day he would come back and find out about it.

You have had to deal with phone calls and messages — facetime if you got lucky and managed to have the same free time. You put up a brave front each time, knowing that if Jaebeom found out how you were really living, he would jump on the plane straight away and come home.

* * *

_A few months after prom, all of you were sitting by the stream with envelopes in hand, apart from you and Mark. Those envelopes held the answers to whether they were accepted or rejected from the colleges that they wanted. They had their futures in the palm of their hands and they all wanted to open them together._

_You were seated next to Mark as the rest of the group decided the order in which they opened the letter. Your future — along with his — was already sealed, so neither of you bothered to apply for any colleges. You were going on a different path, one where your future had already been decided for you._

_Yugyeom, Youngjae and BamBam went first and cheered as they had been accepted into their performing arts college. Their plan was to major in their field while their minor was business related. They wanted to run their own companies when they reached the peak of their careers. You offered them all a hug in celebration, happy for your friends to start achieving their dreams._

_Jackson and Jinyoung then went next and there was no surprise that they had been accepted, but you cheered nonetheless. Jackson wasn’t the eldest son in his father’s company so he was allowed to study unlike you. He’d made it into the sports academy he’d always wanted._

_“Please, tell me that I’ll still be seeing you at the galas?” you asked as you gave him a hug in celebration. “I’ll be bored to death without you there.”_

_“Of course,” Jackson laughed. “You won’t be getting rid of me that easy.”_

_“Good.”_

_Jinyoung had made it into one of the top colleges in the country, as expected from the Dux of your grade. You wished you were attending there with him, missing the competition between you both._

_“Don’t worry,” Jinyoung rubbed your back as he hugged you. “I’ll make sure to give them hell on your behalf.”_

_“I can’t wait to hear all about it,” you laughed. “Make sure you do well. I want to hire you when I become CEO.”_

_“Maybe I’ll do so well that I’ll be the CEO.”_

_“I’ll gladly hand over the reins and live a life of a regular person.”_

_“Please, you’d be my assistant,” Jinyoung teased and you shoved him. “What was that for?”_

_“An assistant?” you asked in disbelief. “I should be your Vice President, you ungrateful brat.”_

_“We’ll see,” Jinyoung winked before you heard someone clear their throat, wanting your attention._

_If you were being honest, you had been stalling this moment. It was Jaebeom’s turn to find out his fate. He was the person you cared about the most and while half of you wanted him to go and achieve his dreams, the other half wanted him to be rejected. As terrible as it sounded, you wanted the letter to tell you that he had failed and had to stay._

_If Jaebeom was being honest, a part of him wanted to fail, too. This was definitely his dream, one that he had always wanted to achieve, but after he met you, he wanted to achieve it with you by his side. Unfortunately, it was impossible. You both knew it. So you had prepared for this day to come._

_You sighed and looked to the heavens, before taking your rightful place by his side. Jaebeom offered you a small smile as the others gathered around you to find out his fate. You placed your hand on his thigh and patted it in encouragement. Jaebeom took a deep breath and opened the letter._

_“I got in,” he announced, barely in a whisper and everyone held their breath._

_They were waiting for the pin to drop. They were waiting to see how you would react before they expressed their reactions; they hadn’t wanted to upset you even further._

_“Congratulations!” you genuinely smiled at him before you threw your arms around his neck. “I knew you could do it. I am so proud of you.”_

_Jaebeom allowed the words to sink in and a stray tear escape before he had engulfed you in his arms. You planted a kiss on his shoulder before you moved away, allowing the others to have their turn at praising him._

_You stood up and made your way next to Mark, who squeezed your hand gently. He knew of the pain you were going through and had vowed to support you through it. Even though you weren’t going to college, you had a lot of things to achieve and he couldn’t allow you to be a hindrance to yourself. You asked him to make sure of it._

_Jaebeom gave a curt nod to Mark who upped and walked over to the others. Jaebeom looked at you solemnly and he entwined your fingers together. He stared at them, worried that if he looked into your eyes, the reality would set in. You thought the same, but you knew that it had to be done._

_With your free hand, you lifted his face and made him look at you. “You need to do this,” you told him. “Don’t talk yourself out of it. You would regret it for the rest of your life.”_

_“Won’t I regret not staying with you?” Jaebeom asked, still trying to stall the inevitable._

_“No,” you smiled at him. “Because I’m not going anywhere. I will be here and I will be waiting; it’s my turn now. Not everyone gets to have a chance to make their dreams come true. I know that from experience.”_

_“Don’t you have any dreams?”_

_“I do,” you answered as you turned your attention to your hands clasped together. “I’ll tell you about it when you come back home.”_

_“I will go if you promise me one thing.”_

_“Anything.”_

_Jaebeom maneuvered himself so that he was sitting in front of you, cross-legged with his knees touching yours. He grabbed both of your hands in his and kissed the back of each of them. He looked at you and smiled and he tried his best to hold the tears back._

_“I want you to continue to live your life like I was still here,” Jaebeom requested and your eyes widened. He saw that you were about to protest so he squeezed your hands as a signal to wait. “Don’t try to deny it. If I have to go and achieve my dreams with no regrets, you have to be here and continue to be you. Otherwise you’re going to make me come home early to kick your ass.”_

_“Like you could,” you retorted as a stray tear escaped. Jaebeom lifted his hand, still entwined with yours and used his forefinger to wipe the tear away. “I promise,” you declared._

_Jaebeom accepted your answer. “Can I ask for another thing?”_

_“Anything.”_

_“Will you wait for me?” he asked so softly that you would’ve missed it if you weren’t hanging on to his every word._

_You gasped and your hold on his hands tightened. You knew his question was loaded with not just the prospect of keeping your friendship but also the prospect of something more. Neither of you had brought up the almost kiss from prom night and you weren’t sure if you were going to because this current issue had reared its head._

_You stared into his eyes, bored into yours as he waited for your reply. You took a deep breath and let his hands go before you threw yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his neck. Jaebeom was shocked but eventually wrapped his arms around you, with his face buried in your neck._

_“Of course, I would wait for you,” you whispered to him. “Just don’t forget me.”_

_“You’re my home. I could never forget you.”_

* * *

This was the fourth year since Jaebeom had been gone and you had been terrible at keeping that promise. Thinking of your other friends who had not failed to message you or call you to make sure you were doing okay, you clenched your fist as the disappointment started to sink in. You sat up straight, staring at the two men in front of you with determination in your eyes.

“Don’t let me procrastinate anymore,” you instructed them. “I am going to complete these and we are going out on Friday. Tell the others.”

“Good girl,” Mark beamed before exiting the room to call the others.

“You ready?” Jinyoung asked with a smile, ready to assist you.

“I’m ready.”

* * *

Friday night arrived and you found yourself staring at the entrance to Jaebeom’s favourite diner. Memories of the times you spent there with him flooded you and you almost wanted to turn back.

“I thought we were going to a bar?” you questioned Mark.

“On an empty stomach?” he asked back. “I don’t think so.”

“Why this place?”

Mark rolled his eyes before gently pushing you through the doors. “I know you miss it,” he replied and you smiled, knowing it was the truth.

“Okay, whose funeral are we attending?” a familiar voice asked as soon as you entered. BamBam. You should’ve known he would have an issue with your whole black outfit.

“Black is in,” you defended yourself as you gave him a hug.

“Like years ago,” he replied incredulously as he studied you at an arm’s length. “This won’t do. When you finally become a CEO, I’m taking you shopping. You cannot be running a company dressed like this. Wait, please tell me you do not dress like this to the galas?”

“She does not,” Jackson came to your rescue with a kiss on your cheek.

“Good, because that would be a crime,” BamBam declared, running away before you could smack him.

“Don’t worry about him,” Jackson calmed you. “You look good. He just needs a job.”

“I heard that!”

Youngjae and Yugyeom greeted you next, the two engulfing you in their arms.

“You finally joined us,” Youngjae breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought I was going to be stuck with these idiots forever—”

“We heard that!”

Youngjae laughed and it was a sound that you had definitely missed. “Seriously though, I’m glad you joined us. He would be too.”

“I know,” you sighed. “I’m sorry it took me so long.”

“Don’t be,” Yugyeom replied, slinging his arm around you. “We understand. Besides, the most important thing is you’re here now.”

“Now if you’re all done being sappy,” Jinyoung grabbed all of your attention and you all collectively rolled your eyes. “It’s time to eat. I’m starving.”

None of you ended up going to the bar that night. You spent all evening at the diner, catching up and reminiscing over the last four years. You laughed, cried and then laughed some more. It almost made you forget why you were so sad in the first place.

As you sat back, surrounded by almost all of your friends and the people that cared for you the most, you thought that everything would be okay.

* * *

Jaebeom sat on the edge of his bed staring at his phone, willing for it to come alive with a notification from you. _Anything._ Normally — with the time difference — you would have sent him a message at 6pm, like you have been since he arrived here. You have never missed a day, except today. It was already 8pm and he had nothing from you.

Pacing the room, he tried to talk himself out of messaging or calling you. He knew that whatever the cause of the delay was that it was for a good reason. He wanted to be patient but being thousands of kilometres away from you was driving him insane and he couldn’t help but worry. So he bit the bullet and sent you a text.

**[20:10] beombeom:** is everything okay?

Breathing a sigh of relief as he pressed send, Jaebeom sat back on the bed and watched his screen intently. He saw the two blue ticks appear which indicated that you had seen it but he didn’t see the ellipses that would indicate that you were responding. A few more minutes of nothing and Jaebeom groaned loudly before he decided to call you.

It went straight to voicemail and he felt like throwing the phone at the wall. You were avoiding him. He knew he shouldn’t jump to conclusions but he needed to at least know that you were safe. Dialling the only person that would know where you were, he cursed as Mark sent him to voicemail too. He was really about to throw his phone this time, until he heard it ding with a message.

**[20:20] mtuan:** turn on the news

Jaebeom paled at the words staring back at him, dropping his phone before scrambling to turn on the TV. He flicked every channel but the only thing he saw was ’_Wang Enterprises acquires deal of the decade_’. He didn’t need to know about Jackson’s family, he needed to know about you. He was about to lose it when he heard his phone ring and he scrambled to pick it up.

“Jinyoung, tell me what is going on,” Jaebeom demanded, not bothering with pleasantries.

“Are you watching the news?” Jinyoung asked and Jaebeom could hear the tension in his voice.

“Yeah, but all I’m seeing is stuff about Jackson’s family. Nothing about her.”

“Actually, that’s the one,” Jinyoung sighed. “That deal was something her father had been working on for the past year and a half, with the help of Jackson’s father who stole it from right under his nose.”

Everything was clear to Jaebeom now. “Was he involved?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“No. I called him about it. He’s having a word with his father now.”

The next few minutes were filled with silence as they both listened to the details of the incident.

“I can’t see them surviving this,” Jaebeom said defeated.

“I can,” Jinyoung countered. “Get on a plane. I have a plan.”

* * *

Standing by the large glass window and staring off into the distance, you tried to let the details of the previous day’s incident sink in. One of the board members had been working with Jackson’s father and feeding him information about the deal your father had been trying to settle. With Mr. Wang winning the bid, you father had been left in a bad light — losing stocks and the trust of the other board members who didn’t know of the betrayal.

They were going to fire your father and your family was close to losing the business until you stormed in and demanded that they give you a chance to save it, as the rightful heir. The traitor tried to sway the other members of the board but was unsuccessful. They gave you six months to restore the company or they would be forced to get a new owner.

You’d gone straight to Jackson’s place last night, who promised that he knew nothing about it. He was sitting on the lounge with Mark, carefully watching the news after disowning his whole family last night. You told him that he didn’t have to do that, but he insisted it was the right thing to do, considering he was a lot closer to you than his own family.

The sound of the bell announcing someone’s arrival broke you out of your reverie, and you nodded at Mark who stood up to open the door. People had been coming in and out to visit you, making sure you were okay but the only people you’ve let in were BamBam, Yugyeom and Youngjae who stayed the night. You’ve instructed Mark to turn everybody else away.

Mark came back with a big smile on his face and you raised your brow at him. “Someone is here to see you,” he announced and just when you were about to protest, a familiar stranger rounded the corner and made his presence known.

“Jaebeom,” you whispered, not quite believing that he was there. “What are you doing here?”

“Did you really think that I wasn’t going to come?” Jaebeom asked curiously.

You didn’t bother replying, approaching him slowly before throwing yourself at him. Jaebeom engulfed you in his arms, holding you tightly against him as he planted kisses on your temple. Mark grabbed Jackson to give both of you some privacy.

“Of course, I knew you’d come. I just wanted to make sure that this was real and not a figment of my imagination.”

“I’m really here,” Jaebeom assured you before pulling away and holding you at arm’s length. Studying your bare features, he saw the dark circles around your eyes and your sunken cheeks that you usually hid with makeup every time you Facetime him. “It looks like you didn’t keep your promise.”

“Would it mean anything if I told you tried?”

“But, did you try?” Jaebeom countered and you knew that he had you there. He didn’t wait for you to answer before he grabbed your hand. “Tell me where your kitchen is. I’m going to cook something and watch you eat it. No buts.”

“You know how to cook?” you asked surprised after directing him.

Jaebeom hummed as he sat you by the marble island before familiarising himself with your kitchen. “I wouldn’t have survived over there with just ramyeon cups,” he shrugged. “Besides, I wanted to be better than you at something.”

You gaped in shock before throwing a tea towel at him, “I know how to cook.”

“You can show me next time,” Jaebeom winked at you.

Watching him work his magic in the kitchen was a sight to behold. Whilst the domesticity of it all felt foreign, you always thought that it would be the other way around — with you doing all the work as Jaebeom looked on. You passed the rest of the time wondering if that would remain the case even in the future.

You spent the meal catching him up on the last four years, making sure to leave no detail behind and he did the same. You started to realise that even though you missed him dearly, you were still glad that he did what he always wanted. Now that he was back, you started to feel guilty for being the reason he returned so early.

“So, what do you plan to do?” Jaebeom questioned regarding the matter of the family business.

“I honestly don’t know,” you smiled sadly. “The whole thing has made me doubt myself. I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You can,” Jaebeom assured you. “We’ll make sure of it. We will help you.”

“We?”

“All of us, but especially Jinyoung and I. We have a plan if you’re willing. Do you trust me?”

“You know that I do.”

“Good. We meet Jinyoung tonight.”

* * *

Admittedly, Jinyoung was the smartest person you knew — he was even smarter than you. So when Jaebeom sais that Jinyoung had a plan, you knew that it was a good one. You knew that it was the best one. You didn’t think that you would be proven wrong.

“Are you crazy?” you asked incredulously. “That’s never going to work.”

“It’s going to work,” Jinyoung assured you. “They will be well compensated by your father as per their contracts, so you don’t have to worry about anyone’s circumstances.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” you challenged him, unhappy with his plan of action. “You’re telling me to scrap my whole team and then what? I can’t do this by myself, Jinyoung.”

Jinyoung scoffed at this, “You’re not doing this on your own. You have us.”

Jinyoung then proceeded to tell you the rest of his plan. The first step would be hiring him as your Vice President with Jackson working as his assistant as he knew the competition the best. You were sceptical but you prodded him for the rest of his plan.

“You need to do something great,” Jinyoung said. “Something that no one else has done yet.”

“Which is?”

Jaebeom spoke this time. “You open up a gallery of sorts,” he announced. “One with a library like you’ve always wanted and an auditorium that can be used for plays, musicals and movie screenings.”

“You don’t have to worry about the performing arts side of things,” Jinyoung added, predicting your protests. “Youngjae, Bam and Yugyeom have agreed to merge.”

“No,” you shook your head. “No way. I am not doing this to them. They’re doing well and I will not be dragging them into my mess and jeopardising their success.”

Looking towards Jaebeom, you tried and pleaded with him. “Don’t let them do this. They can’t. There has to be another way.”

Jaebeom sat in front of you, grasping your hands in his. “This was their idea, actually. Not ours. They want to help and they also see this as a great opportunity to expand their company. It works out for everybody.”

“I’m worried,” you revealed honestly. “What if I can’t do it? I can’t put them at risk.”

“Jinyoung is here,” Jaebeom reassured you. “He won’t let that happen.”

“What about you? You’re not here. I can’t do this without you.”

“I don’t have a position here,” he smiled gently. “I don’t belong here.”

“You belong at my side,” you told him honestly. “I trust you the most and you already know that. I need you.”

Jinyoung added, “She’s right. She’ll need someone she can trust by her side. I know it’s not ideal, but you could be her assistant — just for the time being.”

Jaebeom looked sceptical, not knowing the first thing when it came to being an assistant — a CEO’s one at that. He was willing to help you with his all — giving up on his dream if he had to — but he didn’t want to be the cause of your disappointment or your failure.

Sensing his hesitation, you asked Jinyoung to give both of you a moment in private. Once the door had closed, you grabbed Jaebeom’s hand and looked him in the eye. “I know that I am asking a lot,” you sighed. “I’m asking you to put your dreams on hold and to do things that are not within your comfort zone—”

“I don’t care about that,” Jaebeom interjected. “I will follow you anywhere, you already know that — and yes I will put my dream career on hold. I just… I don’t want to fail you.”

“You couldn’t even if you tried. I will teach you everything you need to know. I just.. I can’t do this without you.”

“You have me,” Jaebeom assured you. “I’ll do it.”

You engulfed him in your arms, thanking him over and over. He was giving up so much for you and you vowed to make it up to him. You had a close to impossible task on your hands but you knew with Jaebeom by your side, there wasn’t anything you couldn’t do.


End file.
